Kindle Oasis with Cellular Connectivity Looks Different

Yesterday Amazon unveiled a new gold Kindle Oasis as an alternative to the graphite gray version, and while looking at the pictures of the Kindle Oasis 2 at Amazon, I saw something I hadn’t noticed before.

There’s a dark strip on the back that goes along the side where you hold the Kindle Oasis, but the darker portion is only on the back of the version with cellular connectivity (previously referred to as the 3G model but the Oasis supports 4G LTE in some areas so now they just call it the version with free cellular connectivity).

Since it’s not on the Wi-Fi version, the dark strip is presumably there for a purpose. One would assume it’s there to improve the wireless signal, but what is it exactly?

The back and sides of the Kindle Oasis are one solid piece of aluminum, at least that’s how it is on the Wi-Fi version.

For those with a cellular model, is the strip a separate piece of plastic? Is it completely flush with the aluminum? How does it feel?

It looks like there’s a seam when you zoom in on the larger picture at Amazon. But of all the pictures of the Kindle Oasis 2 there’s only one that shows it.

I’ve never noticed the cellular model looking different than the Wi-Fi model with any of the other Kindles, but then again the 2nd gen Oasis is the first with an all metal back.

Radio signals can’t be transmitted through metal. The dark piece will be made of plastic. The same distinction is true for tablets with wi-fi only vs those with 4G capability. Check out pictures of the Ipad mini with 4G vs those without it. Those without it have a solid aluminum case, those with 4G have a plastic covered cutout over the radio antenna.

You don’t see this in devices with all plastic cases, for obvious reasons.

Being the first Kindle with an all metal back, that’s something I’ve never noticed before. Other metal ereaders like the Glowlight Plus don’t have 3G so they don’t have the plastic strip. They could’ve matched the color better. If I paid $350 for the wireless Oasis I’d be annoyed by that ugly plastic strip, especially since that’s right where you hold it.

I was thinking more of the newer design concept of having an all metal back like the Glowlight Plus and some of Onyx’s ereaders, but Onyx has a plastic section at the bottom even without cellular. Quite frankly I like the Voyage better with the soft coating on the back instead of the cold, slick metal.

I think the question of the article is “how come wifi only kindle oasis doesn’t have plastic strip and have wifi signals pass through the all metal body”. Wifi signals cannot penetrate metal and yet wifi only kindle oasis is all metal on the back. Why LTE needs plastic strip when obviously wifi can work with all metal back. Where is the wifi antenna?